I have a soft spot in my heart for Haiti because learning about Haiti was the beginning of our adoption journey. For years, we've been engaged in the fight to rescue and restore kids around the world being sold into sexual slavery. About a year and a half ago, I learned about the children in Haiti who were forced into servant positions -- or a parent is tricked into giving a child away so that he or she can be given a better life in the city. Instead, they act as slaves and are often physically, emotionally, and sexually abused. "Restavec: From Haitian Slave Child to Middle Class American" was written by Jean-Robert Cadet and details his own experience growing up in Haiti. This book broke my heart and refueled an anger that brought me closer to God's heart. When you get it, you have to capture it and act on it. Reading about the lives of children in Haiti is what caused me to begin researching adoption in a very REAL way.
So, as we pray, and share, and give...let it not just be about the medical and physical needs of those affected by the earthquake. Keep these kids in mind. I can't imagine what this disaster means for the 300,000 children in this system of slavery...and the number of children who will enter into it as a result. For us, our resources will go to organizations that fight for these kids because that's the passion we've been given. On the other end of this disaster, God can work great things -- I hope that's freedom, family, and love for these kids.
Some other things to check out-
The foundation created by the above author: http://www.restavekfreedom.org/
How to Buy a Child in 10 Minutes: http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/Story?id=5326508
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Monday, January 18, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
NEW # (and thoughts) FOR THE NEW YEAR
We received our new number yesterday. We're 18! Good...considering there was zero movement that we know of on the boy list until early this week. I suppose we should be happy just for moving up. :) Get us out of the teens for next time! Get us into single digits! (I can be hopeful...)
It just hurts knowing that there are so many kids/babies who need a home and a family, but the "process" slows it down. I know that there are good reasons and ultimately, it protects kids, but still, we want our little boy HERE.
I just started reading Loving Our Kids on Purpose -- even just 50 pages in I felt I learned so much and had several revelations. "Wow, that's why I do that..." or "Oh my gosh, why haven't I ever made that connection before..." were running through my brain every couple pages.
Here's the gist so far. As Christians, so many of us think of parenting in the Old Testament paradigm -- external rewards and punishments. Basically, our bottom line can't be obedience (believe me, I want obedience, but the author does have a point here), but instead, our bottom line has to be love and relationship. Our job is to do the best we can to relate to our kids in such a way that they can better understand God's relationship with them.
I love these parts:
"We try to convey to our kids that we are in control of their lives from the time they are tiny. Once again, the problem with that lesson is that Heaven in not trying to control your life. God doesn't want to control you. Remember, in the presence of the Lord there is freedom, not control (2 Cor. 3:17). We sing songs all day long about how God is in control. He does not control you, and neither does your wife, your boss, or your children. No one controls you. As a matter of fact, we've been given a Spirit of power, love, and self control (2 Tim. 1:7 BBE). You cannot blame your life on God....When I talk about training your children from the inside out, in freedom, I am talking about removing fear -- specifically, the fear of punishment....We need some methods, tools, and skills to respond to our child's sin in such a way that we create love, not fear...limiting the freedom of our children in order to teach them external controls, smallness, constraints, and fear of punishment is not a strategy that works in the long run. Instead, we must teach our kids what freedom looks like, feels like, and how to prosper in it. This is the model of Heaven. This is what our Father in Heaven is doing."
I don't want to remove my kids from all temptation...after all, I want them to learn how to manage it while they are under our guidance. That gets a little scary though -- how am I REALLY going to handle that?! Really though, our goal is to develop that heart-to-heart connection with our kids like we desire with God. It's odd that as much as I dislike "religion" my natural tendancy (I think) as a parent, without intervention and intention, would mirror the very thing I dislike spiritually. Good thing we've got a few more months of stinking waiting! Wow...lots to work on. For real.
It just hurts knowing that there are so many kids/babies who need a home and a family, but the "process" slows it down. I know that there are good reasons and ultimately, it protects kids, but still, we want our little boy HERE.
I just started reading Loving Our Kids on Purpose -- even just 50 pages in I felt I learned so much and had several revelations. "Wow, that's why I do that..." or "Oh my gosh, why haven't I ever made that connection before..." were running through my brain every couple pages.
Here's the gist so far. As Christians, so many of us think of parenting in the Old Testament paradigm -- external rewards and punishments. Basically, our bottom line can't be obedience (believe me, I want obedience, but the author does have a point here), but instead, our bottom line has to be love and relationship. Our job is to do the best we can to relate to our kids in such a way that they can better understand God's relationship with them.
I love these parts:
"We try to convey to our kids that we are in control of their lives from the time they are tiny. Once again, the problem with that lesson is that Heaven in not trying to control your life. God doesn't want to control you. Remember, in the presence of the Lord there is freedom, not control (2 Cor. 3:17). We sing songs all day long about how God is in control. He does not control you, and neither does your wife, your boss, or your children. No one controls you. As a matter of fact, we've been given a Spirit of power, love, and self control (2 Tim. 1:7 BBE). You cannot blame your life on God....When I talk about training your children from the inside out, in freedom, I am talking about removing fear -- specifically, the fear of punishment....We need some methods, tools, and skills to respond to our child's sin in such a way that we create love, not fear...limiting the freedom of our children in order to teach them external controls, smallness, constraints, and fear of punishment is not a strategy that works in the long run. Instead, we must teach our kids what freedom looks like, feels like, and how to prosper in it. This is the model of Heaven. This is what our Father in Heaven is doing."
I don't want to remove my kids from all temptation...after all, I want them to learn how to manage it while they are under our guidance. That gets a little scary though -- how am I REALLY going to handle that?! Really though, our goal is to develop that heart-to-heart connection with our kids like we desire with God. It's odd that as much as I dislike "religion" my natural tendancy (I think) as a parent, without intervention and intention, would mirror the very thing I dislike spiritually. Good thing we've got a few more months of stinking waiting! Wow...lots to work on. For real.
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